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Tag Archives: Croydon BID
How businesses profited at expense of the Borough of Culture
BOROUGH OF VULTURES: £1.3m of arts funding provided by the Mayor of London was misused by Croydon’s Tory council to boost local businesses, but delivered a year-long flop, judging by official audience figures. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s year as … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, CODA, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydonites Festival, Dance, Fairfield Halls, Kristian Aspinall, London Mozart Players, Mayor Jason Perry, Music, Stanley Halls, Theatre
Tagged Andy Stranack, Borough of Culture, Borough of Vultures, CODA, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Clocktower, Croydon Council, Croydon Operatic and Dramatic Association, David Lean Cinema, Develop Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Kristian Aspinall, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory, White Label
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How Croydon’s ‘Culture Club’ was turned into a business clique
CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the borough’s £1.5m year of culture is staggering to its conclusion, we reveal how the owners of a Surrey Street pub were handed £28,000 for… nothing. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES As Croydon’s year as London’s Borough … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Pubs, Restaurants, Surrey Street
Tagged Apsara Arts, Borough of Culture, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Develop Croydon, Fern, giraffes, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mr Fox, Surrey Street, Surrey Street Carnival, Tory, White Label
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Organisers pull plug on beer festival after only 127 buy tickets
Dozens of beer- and cider-lovers have been left disappointed and out-of-pocket (for now at least) by the last-minute cancellation of a two-day festival due to have been staged at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls. But anyone booking in advance for the South … Continue reading
BID’s brass neck over plastic giraffes, as only 1,000 used app
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council gave a £50,000 arts grant to a business organisation, where Mayor Perry is on the board of directors. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry might as well have stood at the end of Surrey Street … Continue reading
Mayor Perry is told to wait for £18.5m Levelling Up boost
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Business interests in the town centre will benefit from Government cash for cycling and walking schemes. But doubts surround whether Mayor Perry will manage to deliver a six-year-old Labour plan to open up College Green. By our … Continue reading
Posted in Business, College Green, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Cycling, East Croydon, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Waddon, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Levelling Up Fund, Matthew Sims, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Paul Scott, Tory, Waddon, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
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Council to use Home Office grant for BID’s privatised policing
The council has announced that it has secured £165,000 through the government’s Safer Streets Fund to tackle crime in the town centre. The grant comes from the Home Office where, at least until this morning, Tory MP for Croydon South, … Continue reading
Millionaire pulls plug on Mayor Perry’s ‘big idea’ for Allders
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The businessman behind Secret Cinema folded five companies in August, as ambitious plans for the ‘turning point for the future of entertainment’ in Croydon’s dilapidated town centre are abandoned. By STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry put on his … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Secret Cinema, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Develop Croydon, Fabien Riggall, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Secret Cinema, Tory, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
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Jason Perry’s Croydon: a place with all the wrong priorities
Inside Croydon’s loyal reader was strolling along the High Street in the town centre this morning and captured this wonderful scene Our reader dropped us a note in which they say, “Think this illustrates nicely Jason Perry’s Croydon. “Two workers, … Continue reading
Perry is director of company handed £50,000 culture grant
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES One of the biggest single grants handed out by Croydon Council for Borough of Culture projects has gone to a company where Mayor Jason Perry is a director. While several long-established, recognised community arts groups had … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Borough of Culture, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, giraffes, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Tory
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A town centre amble that goes from the sublime to ridiculous
KEN TOWL took a stroll down Surrey Street and Church Street and encountered two different takes on what passes for ‘culture’ in Croydon The Croydon Clocktower has an exhibition of the works of Evacustes Phipson. “Evacustes who?” you may ask … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, Ken Towl, Surrey Street
Tagged Borough of Culture, Church Street, CNH&SS, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Clocktower, Croydon Council, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, Evacustes Phipson, Ken Towl, London Borough of Croydon, Surrey Street
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GLA has few checks on how £1.3m Culture grant is being spent
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The cash-strapped council received £1.35m from City Hall towards the staging of the Borough of Culture, but it is subject to next-to-no external scrutiny over how that public money is being used. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Community associations, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Borough of Culture, City Hall, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, GLA, Greater London Authority, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
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Council hits duff note as it helps pals set up digital studio
The council is claiming a role in spending £500,000 to establish a new “creative digital lab” off the Purley Way “to help support local businesses and enable residents to upskill” – despite there being existing facilities in the town centre … Continue reading
Having a giraffe! Business group spends thousands on statues
Town centre business group Croydon BID is spending thousands of pounds on a collection of oddly-decorated, mostly eight-foot-tall fibre glass statues of giraffes, which are due to be distributed among shops and on street corners later this summer, in the … Continue reading
Perry’s new PSPO zone is ‘just window-dressing’ say critics
Surrey Street traders to establish group to represent their interests after council ignored their pleas for help over thefts and violence on Croydon’s historic street market Mayor Jason Perry is axing more than 20 Neighbourhood Safety Officers, but he has … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Community associations, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Surrey Street
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Metropolitan Police, PSPO, Public Spaces Protection Order, Surrey Street Market, Tory
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£81,000 part-time Mayor takes on yet another directorship
Almost three months since he was appointed to the board of the town centre’s Business Improvement District, creating ‘clear conflicts of interests’, Jason Perry’s declarations have yet to be updated by the council. By KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter … Continue reading
Posted in Allders, Business, CPO, Croydon BID, Mayor Jason Perry, Property, Stiles Harold Williams, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Broad Green, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Plant, Tory, Waddon, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
7 Comments
The Whitgift Centre is on a roll in the build-up to Christmas
Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres have announced that they will be opening a free roller rink in Whitgift Square on Saturday November 25, to be a feature of festive activities in the town centre right through until Christmas Eve. It … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Centrale, Christmas, Croydon, Croydon BID, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
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You’re having a giraffe! BID’s art-washing effort for Culture year
Croydon BID, the business improvement district which represents some of the biggest employers in the town centre, is planning to unleash more than 30 eight-foot-tall statues of giraffes around their area next autumn. It was Croydon BID that was behind … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID
Tagged Borough of Culture, Croydon, Croydon BID, London Borough of Croydon, Matthew Sims
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BID rangers called ‘bullies in high-viz’ after High Street incident
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Serious questions have been raised about the behaviour of the Mayor-backed security staff drafted into the town centre supposedly to deter anti-social behaviour. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES An investigation is being conducted into the behaviour of a … Continue reading
Revealed – the real reason for PSPO: Perry’s Power Rangers
Not content with having an extra 24 Met officers patrolling Croydon town centre, the borough’s new Mayor is clearing the way for a private police force, armed with the threat of £80 fines. By STEVEN DOWNES Anyone seeking the hidden … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, Perry's Power Rangers, Street Rangers, Tory
6 Comments
BID splashes out on town centre street art for a wacky week
A multi-coloured octopus on an office roof in South Croydon. Fairfield Halls being daubed by a giant paintbrush. A beanstalk growing up alongside the Town Hall… These are just some of the inflatable 3D street art that has appeared overnight … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Boxpark, Business, Croydon BID
Tagged Boxpark, CheckOut Croydon, Croydon BID, Unexpected Croydon
8 Comments
Perry’s PSPO will just move ‘problems’ out of town centre
Dressed up as a ‘war on anti-social behaviour’ and used as an excuse for clearing the streets of drinkers, the latest proposals will allow the cash-strapped council to issue money-making fines for often trivial offences. By our Town Hall reporter, … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Dave Stringer, East Croydon, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Pubs, Surrey Street, Waddon, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Broad Green, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Dave Stringer, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, North End, PSPO, Surrey Street, Tory, Waddon
7 Comments
The Tories’ record on policing numbers does not add up
Crime is an important issue in Croydon’s council and Mayoral elections. Or at least it should be. ANDREW FISHER polices the claims of the competing camps, and adds some essential context Policing matters. The amount of violent crime is higher … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Broad Green, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon BID, Dave Stringer, Fairfield, Jason Perry, Knife crime, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, New Addington, New Addington North, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Val Shawcross
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Conservative, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, knife crime, Labour, Metropolitan Police, New Addington, Sadiq Khan, Stephen Lawrence, Tory, Val Shawcross, youth knife crime
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Business leader issues plea to government for financial help
The government needs to provide greater support for those firms worst-hit by the extension of the covid-19 lockdown or risk losing Croydon’s “beating heart”, according to the head of the largest business group in the borough. Matthew Sims is the … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Croydon BID, Health, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Boris Johnson, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon BID, Hammersfield, Matthew Sims, Whitgift Centre
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Business body asks town centre traders: do we have a future?
Croydon BID, the town centre’s Business Improvement District, is conducting a survey of companies and traders in the area in preparation for next year, when it is required to submit a renewal plan for its next five years. “Help us … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon BID
Tagged Croydon, Croydon BID, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
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Croydon BID’s new chair says town centre to reopen on June 1
Croydon BID, the town centre business “improvement” organisation, has appointed a former personnel manager for Gatwick Airport as its latest chair. In his first statement as chair of Croydon BID, Darren Hockaday announced that his organisation and Croydon Council want … Continue reading
